Internet gambling is controversial; some jurisdictions have banned it altogether. Why is it attracting so much government attention? Several explanations abound. Some claim that governments are simply protecting their citizens from social harms, dishonest operators, and unfair games. Others claim the cause of the attention is the religious right, whose moral agenda is to outlaw all gambling. Still others assert that the states are simply acting in their own self-interest to protect the revenues from their government-run lotteries.
Which is true? The answer is that all are true to some degree or another. Gambling has never been an issue of uniform agreement. Government policies on the subject differ as greatly as people’s opinions. No greater contrast can be shown than the sister US states of Nevada and Utah. In one, you can play slot machines in the grocery stores, while, in the other, you go to jail for playing cards in your own home.
One thing is certain: Almost all governments regulate gambling in some fashion, despite whether it is legal or illegal. For example, Nevada has allowed casino gambling since 1931, but has extensive laws and regulations regulating its casinos. Utah, which permits no forms of legal gambling, has criminal laws that regulate the conduct of its citizens by attempting to detect and prosecute those who place or accept wagers.
Underlying the laws that regulate gambling is society's public policy. This policy usually falls into one of four general categories. The most restrictive is that gambling is an undesirable activity that government should not tolerate. The least restrictive is that...